Virus infections are widespread among the world population. Among most widespread and dangerous virus infections there are diseases caused by viruses of the herpes group including zoster, herpetic keratitises, keratoconjunctivitises, virus hepatitises; encephalitises and the like. Prominent characteristics of the herpetic infection substantially hindering the control thereof reside in a long-time persistance of the herpes virus in the organism, frequent recurrences and plurality of clinical signs.
Common herpes (Herpes simplex) is characterized mainly by vesicular eruption. The infection intensity is different and can be accompanied by either moderate general symptoms of herpetic fever with a high body temperature, depression, headache and pain in joints. The signs of the disease can be also stomatitis, glossitis, keratitis and keratoconjunctivitis, pharyngitis, vesicular eruption on mucous membranes and skin. More frequently injured is the face in the regions of mouth, nose, eyelid, as well as genitalia. In the case of Herpes zoster the dermal injuries are preceded by inflammation phenomena and changes in ganglia roots and posterior columns of the spinal cord which is accompanied by strong, often intolerable pains along the nerve and local dermal signs: edema, itching, vesicular eruption. In herpetic diseases there are rather frequent cases of herpetic hepatitis in both children and adults. Relatively insufficiently studied are disturbances of the central nervous system in the form of meningitis, encephalitis and encephalomielitis. A generalized form of herpes with lethal outcome.
Despite an extensive search for preparations with antivirus activity, the problem of investigation of viral diseases caused by a virus of the herpes group still remains urgent. The existing antivirus preparations do not satisfy all the requirements imposed thereon and their application does not result in a full recovery, nor prevention from recurrences.
For the treatment of herpetic diseases attempts have been made to use antibiotics, certain chemical compositions, corticoids, specific and non-specific vaccino-therapy. It has been found out that the use of sulphanylamides and antibiotics does not provide any effect on the course of the herpetic disease and can merely prevent or eliminate the bacterial infection. Chemical preparations employed for the treatment of these diseases, namely: analogues of pyrimidine bases, JDU (5-iodine-2-desoxyuridine), 5-fluorouracyl are antimetabolites and, exerting an effect on the virus, they also affect the organism. Furthermore, they are rather toxic substances.
Consequently, the known antiviral preparations do not satisfy all necessary requirements (do not prevent recurrences, do not cause full recovery); thus, the problem of treating virus diseases caused by a virus pertaining to the group of herpes still has to be solved.